Limbo
by Coka
Summary: When he is finally in a position of control over her, he has no idea what he is supposed to do. 'Dark Ace/Piper'
1. Chapter 1

**This is request for a Dark acexPiper fic from biank-the-raven. I hope its ok! Its not like full of fluff and stuff but it's more serious! By the way, I don't own Storm Hawks (though I wish I did!).**

'_It's easy, she's just there! Do it already! It's not that hard!' _The skies were dark and blood red, rumbling with the sound of thunder. On a small terra stood a raven-haired man, a glowing red, crystal powered sword held above his head. In front of him lay a crumpled form, obviously a woman, a small blue crystal necklace glowing around her neck. She was defenceless, her crystal staff laying far out of reach. They were alone and the figure on the ground began to shake uncontrollably. Silent tears poured from her amber eyes and short breaths escaped from her mouth.

"Just do it, I don't care. They never came, they never will. Put me out of my misery!" she screamed at the man. "Aerrow doesn't care. As long as he has his precious _Starling,_" she spat out the name with distaste "he'll never come and look for me! The squadron probably won't even realise I'm missing!! Kill me!! What are you waiting for?!". The mans Crimson red eyes opened in surprise, an emotion that was rarely seen on his face.

'_Aerrow? Not look for one of his missing team? Piper, begging for death? I must have over looked something.' _As all of these thoughts raced through his mind, sobs began to fill the air around him. Staring back down at the form, he saw her tears fall to the floor, creating a small puddle around her. They came at a heavier pace now and he found it hard to keep his sword above his head. He powered down his sword, letting it fall from his grasp onto the ground and just stared at the shaking form in front of him.

_Why? _A voice asked. He looked around wildly to see who it was.

"Where are you? Why can't I see you?" he asked in a state of confusion.

_You cannot see me, for I am inside you. _

"Who are you and what do you want?!" the man snarled ferociously.

_I am you, the Dark Ace. _Piper looked up in confusion at the man known as Dark Ace. Amber eye's darting from the floor to him and back again. Sighing, the voice spoke again_. Why did you let the girl live? She is your enemy, remember? No mercy. _Dark Ace looked again at the girl in front of him. He looked into her eyes and saw beauty. Even though her midnight blue hair was a mess and blood was still seeping out of several wounds on her face, arms and shoulders, he had to admit, Piper was one of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. '_Is Aerrow mental?!' _he said to himself.

_Most likely. _The voice answered, Dark Ace now realising it could hear what he said to himself. _Let me ask you one thing, do you…love her? _Dark Ace listened and didn't react immediately.

"I…don't know." he replied, dark eyes filled with questions and confusion but no answers.

_You have to tell her, she has to know. How can you keep this from her, for if you do, you know there would be no chance between you two. You have to. She doesn't deserve to be kept in the shadows any longer._

"But she loves Aerrow." he muttered under his breath, to keep the words from the girls ears. "I can't do it.".

_Fine have it your way. _

"I always have it my way." Dark Ace growled.

_But you know that she will be so sad. She is going to be stuck on the Condor with Aerrow and Starling, those two pathetic excuses for Sky Knights. Aerrow's always going to make sure Starling comes first, she'd be better off with you. _Dark Ace's mind was racing, he loved Piper, he always had ever since they first met. But how would he tell her that without making it sound like he was trying to trick her?

"What's wrong?" Pipers sarcastic voice cut through his thoughts. "Scared you might get my blood on your pre-" Piper was cut off as the she was pushed to the ground and the Darks Ace's lips met hers. Catching her off guard, he took this chance to roam the inside of her mouth with his tongue. As his tongue touched hers, her eye's opened wide and realised what was happening. She struggled against his embrace but he was too strong. She managed to break free and broke the kiss while unleashing her full fury. " What the heck do you think you're doing?!" Piper yelled while gasping for breath. Though the experience was pleasant, it just seemed plain wrong! Dark Ace pulled away panting and recounted the past few moments.

'_I was deep in thought when Piper had begun to talk. I had stared deep into those eyes __and couldn't resist. Before I knew it I had just pinned her down and kissed her, releasing all that tensed up passion I had kept hidden for so long. Yeah, great way to do it. Well done'. _The Dark Ace mentally slapped himself as he came back to the present. His eyes widened with realisation. He saw what he had done wrong and knew that he had probably mentally damaged this girl's life forever. _'What on earth? When did I start worrying about other people's mental health?!' _he thought madly. Staring at Piper, he knew that it was because of her that he was acting differently. He leaned to the side of her head so he could say something. Struggling for words, he finally whispered "I'm so sorry…" and ran.

Piper watched after him as he ran into the nearby forest. He didn't look back. After a while, she touched her lips where Dark Ace's had been moments ago. She wished she hadn't broke it. '_Does he love me?' _she pondered. '_It's impossible! He's the Dark Ace! I'm Piper of the Storm Hawks! We're opposite, it's wrong.' _Piper assured herself. But she then thought deeply and looked into her heart. '_They say that opposites do attract, is that the case? And I've always had this weird feeling for him. Maybe…I-I…love…him. I have to go after him!'_ Piper saw that Dark Ace's sword was on the ground just in front of her. Picking it up, she ignored the pain in her arms and legs that was telling her to give up and steadily walked into the dark depths of the forest.

* * *

He ran. He ran and ran and ran. He ran until he knew that he was so far into the forest that no one would find him unless he wanted them to. Dark Ace growled in frustration. "What did I go and do that for?". He removed his headgear and ruffled his hair suddenly realising that he had dropped his sword in the rush to get away from that place, to get away from her. "I just don't understand," he told the trees around him " I hear a voice in my head that is asking me tonnes of questions, I then go and kiss the one person I love and then I run away into the forest while that person is probably still really hurt….". He started to moan. "I'm now stuck out here with no way to get back to civilisation, I am defenceless as I don't have my sword and I am pretty sure that I am mentally ill as I am telling all my problems to a tree. Great.". Sighing, he walked over to a nearby boulder and sat on it. '_I didn't even look at her expression when I left. I don't know if she was hurt, shocked, angry or…well…happy. I'm such and idiot.' _Lost in thoughts, he didn't see the shadows that were creeping among the trees. They were all around him, surrounding him.

"If you don't give her up now, we'll make sure you _suffer_…" a familiar voice sounded, making sure the person emphasised the word 'suffer'. Dark Ace turned and stared wide-eyed into the depths of the trees around him. Someone had been listening after all.

* * *

"Where is he, oh where is he….Oh My God. I'm lost in this hell hole of place, all alone and bleeding to death. Ok, maybe I exaggerated a bit about the 'bleeding to death' thing." Piper muttered to herself as she battled through branches, vines, thorns and all sorts of other things. Her cuts and wounds were still open and bleeding but not as bad as they were earlier on. Piper had Dark Ace's sword for self defence as she didn't have the energy to use sky-fu and her crystal staff was broken. However, she did have the frost crystal that was in her staff with her. The double bladed weapon was a lot heavier than she originally thought, her shoulders were aching and she began to wonder how the Dark Ace carried this around on his back all the time.

She came to a small clearing, littered with dead leaves and stray rocks and pebbles. Deciding to ignore the clearing and carry on, she wondered further and deeper into the forest.

After a while, she stopped and listened. She could swear she could hear voices. "I don't have her." '_Dark Ace' _she thought instantly. _'He must be talking about me. But who is he talking to? Unless…'_

"We know you do. What did you do with her!" '_Aerrow? What is he doing here?' _Ever so quietly, Piper edged towards the voices. They became clearer the closer she got.

"If you think I killed her you're wrong." Piper heard the Dark Ace say.

"LIAR!" Aerrow shouted. Piper could now see what was going on. Quickly, she hid behind a tree, but with the scene still in view. She was hidden in the shadows, everyone else oblivious to her nearby presence. Aerrow had the Dark Ace by his collar, one of his dagger like swords activated and at Ace's throat, illuminating his face with its blue energy. His expression was unreadable. The rest of the Storm Hawks surrounded him; escape was impossible. "What did you do with her!" Dark Ace's eyes turned away. "ANSWER ME!!". Aerrow's voice surprised Piper, so much it almost scared her. She had never heard him like this before. As well as anger she could pick up worry in his voice as well. Aerrow raised his dagger threatening to strike. Piper knew what was going to happen if she didn't intervene at that exact moment.

"I'm fine." Piper spoke calmly and quickly, just loud enough for them all to hear. Though she used to despise of the Dark Ace (or so she thought), she couldn't bare to see him get hurt. All eyes turned on her as she stepped out of the shadows and into the dappled light of the clearing. Piper knew her hair was a mess and she could feel blood starting to ooze out of one of the wounds on her cheek again. Aerrow still held Dark Ace's collar tightly.

"Piper? But…how…what…" Aerrow stuttered.

'_I have to get away, I can't deal with this.' _Piper turned and fled back through the forest, she could hear light, swift footsteps close behind her and her name being shouted over and over again but she ignored it. She could feel tears running down her cheeks, stinging her cuts as they ran over the still open wounds. Forcing herself to run faster, she heard the voice becoming fainter and fainter. She arrived back at the clearing she passed before, convinced she had lost whoever it was that was following her. Without warning, she collapsed in the middle of the clearing, drained of all energy. Panting slightly, she managed to crawl towards a boulder in the middle and heaved herself into a sitting position, her back against the cool stone. A thin layer of sweat covered her heaving body. '_Why me. Of all people, why me?'._ So many questions overtook her mind. She didn't notice the silhouette silently walk up behind her. Tears began to leak down her face again. She let them take over her body, too weak to resist. The silhouette behind her sighed and Piper heard.

"Who is it?" Piper asked, still sobbing her heart out.

"It's me, Aerrow." Piper let a little 'oh' escape her lips. His red mess of hair came into view and his emerald eyes were filled with concern. Every bit of anger she had seen erupting from him just a little while ago seemed to have just disappeared. " Piper what's wrong?" he questioned, wiping the tears off of her cheeks with his thumb. "You're never like this. You've run away from us, you've burst into tears and now you clam up and stuff. You can tell me, I'm always going to be there for you." Piper snorted at this comment

"You're always going to be there for me! Hah! So where were you earlier on when I thought I needed you most!?" Piper asked glaring into his emerald orbs with her amber ones. She began again before Aerrow could say anything. "Starling is always going to come first isn't she! While I was alone and stuck on a terra, you two were probably making out in you room, all safe on the condor, not batting an eyelid about what I was going through! I can't believe, I even liked you.". Piper turned away and stared at a tree. Aerrow was stunned by her words.

'_Me and Starling_!? _Where did she get that idea from!? I've always loved Piper, I've just never summoned up the courage to tell her.' _Aerrow went through what she had just said in his mind. '_"You're always going to be there for me! Hah! So where were you when I thought I needed you most!?" Hang on. 'Thought' she needed me most? Exactly what happened when she was with the Dark Ace? And when she said "I can't believe, I even liked you." , surely she meant just as friends. Right?'_

"What exactly happened when you were with the Dark Ace, Piper? And Starling and I are not…well…a couple or anything. We're just really good friends who spend a lot of time together!" Aerrow said while looking at Piper in worry.

"You're kidding about the Starling thing, aren't you?" Piper said, her voice beginning to shake.

"No." Aerrow replied, frowning in confusion.

"…but…I…oh no." Piper put her hand over her mouth in shock. "Oh no, no. This cannot be happening.".

"What is it?" Aerrow asked, his leadership attitude coming out again.

"I…can't…say. And you and Starling aren't-"

"No."

With no warning, Piper entered a full blown screaming fit. "I'm such a stupid, foolish girl! Why couldn't I figure that out! If I had known that then we wouldn't be in this mess. I wouldn't have left the Condor in a state of jealousy and then I wouldn't have found the Dark Ace and I wouldn't have been beaten in battle and he wouldn't have kissed me…" Piper trailed off, realising what she had said. "Oh…no. I shouldn't have said that.". Aerrow's eyes widened in shock as he took in the information he had just received. Piper's head was in her hands and she was rocking backwards and forwards.

"He WHAT?!" Aerrow shrieked in shock. "H-he just k-kissed you! Please tell me it was on the cheek, please!" the young teen begged. Piper shook her head in sadness. "It-t was just p-peck on the lips then right?" Aerrow's voice was getting higher and higher. Piper stared at Aerrow and wondered weather she should lie, for the sake of his mental health. Going against it, she unwillingly shook her head again. "Oh…he kissed you full on….n-no…that's impossible…he's the Dark Ace…y-your Piper…"Aerrow stuttered as he placed a hand on his forehead.

"I know…I stopped him." Piper whispered. "He apologized and then just ran off into the forest-"

"A-and then w-we found h-him." Aerrow finished while still stuttering. "We have t-to talk to h-him.".


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 is up! Don't forget to R&R! You know you want to.**

_Flashback_

"_I don't have her" The Dark Ace said slowly with an edge in his voice._

"_We know you do. What did you do with her!" Aerrow shouted to his face, his powered dagger getting ever closer to Dark Ace's neck. He could feel the energy radiating from the weapon slowly heat and burn his skin._

"_If you think I killed her you're wrong." Dark Ace spat while trying to wriggle free from the young redhead's firm grip._

"_LIAR!" Aerrow screamed. "What did you do with her!". Trying to not remind himself of his actions earlier on with Piper, he turned his head and broke his gaze with Aerrow. Big mistake. Aerrow snapped. "ANSWER ME!". Dark Ace looked at the boy seeing several emotions written across his face; fear, sadness and anger. A tear rolled down his cheek, Dark Ace not knowing what emotion it was from or weather it was from all three. He realised something, Aerrow did love Piper. Why would he act this way otherwise? _

_Aerrow raised his dagger high above his head and tightened his ever firm grip on the man below him. Dark Ace knew it had been coming, he never thought it would happen like this. _

'_This is it…' he said to himself in his head and closed his eyes for what felt like the last time. Adrenaline was racing through his veins and his body tensed as he prepared for the final blow._

"_I'm fine." A voice muttered loud enough just to be heard by the small group. Aerrow's grip on him loosened a bit, still tight, but it had loosened. He heard him stutter in surprise. The Dark Ace opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the voice, and sure enough, in the dappled sunlight, stood Piper. Her expression was unreadable but he was sure she was going to break down any second. She turned and ran back through the forest and Dark Ace could hear the sobs of sadness that followed her. He wanted to help her, go after her, make sure she was OK. _

"_Take him back to the Condor." he gestured to the Dark Ace. "Don't let him get away." Aerrow muttered to his fellow team-mates before taking off after the distraught girl._

Dark Ace was being led back though the forest, presumably back to the Condor. _'Looks like I'm going on a trip down memory lane.' _Dark Ace sighed to himself miserably. The strong Wallop, Junko, had Ace in a death grip that made any means of escape impossible. It made living and breathing difficult. The other Storm Hawk was following close behind, a blonde named Finn. Stork, the teams carrier pilot, was back on the Condor evading any means of a 'violent and painful demise'.

As Finn caught up beside Junko and the Dark Ace, he noticed that Ace's face was slowly turning from its usual pale state to a rather worrying purple one. "Hey Junko, buddy, might wanna release the grip a little on Dark Ace or he won't live to see the Condor." Finn said gesturing towards the raven-haired man. Junko took a quick glance at the Dark Ace's face and relaxed his arms a bit, allowing him to breathe more easily. The purple colour retreated from his face and his skin quickly returned to it's pale tone. "Though if I had it my way, I would let him die." Finn muttered under his breath. Dark Ace glared at Finn who stumbled over a small vine.

"Hey Finn! It's the Condor!" Junko exclaimed and pointed towards a rather large clearing. Dark Ace raised his head weakly to look at the small ship which he had approached so many times in battle. It's hull bore the circular, blue hawk which he recognised all too well and its silvery sheen of metal coating glimmered in the dappled sunlight. He had to admit, it looked in a pretty good condition considering how old it was. He sighed as all the memories came flooding back to him; the old Storm Hawks squadron.

The ramp leading to the hangar came down and they went up into the ship. A familiar sight greeted him as he looked into the gloom. In his mind, as clear as crystal, he could see where all the old skimmers used to be. Where his former leaders was placed when he wasn't using it, Aerrow's stood there now. Spare parts and weapons were scattered across the floor and there was a huge pile of broken stuff in the corner. '_Why did I do it? Why did I kill them?' _He questioned himself. '_They were good people and they didn't do anything wrong. Sometimes, I wish I wasn't with Cyclonia and…that…I hadn't killed them.'. _The spark of red energy had left his eyes leaving them dull and lifeless and his hair drooped over his face concealing all of his emotions from the world around him. He didn't expect an answer.

_You killed them because they showed you no respect. _The Dark Ace rolled his eyes.

* * *

**.:The Dark Ace's POV:.**

Great. The crazy voice is back in my head again. Like I wasn't stressing enough with my current situation. '_What do you want?!' _I said in my head in the most menacing voice that I could summon up at that very moment.

_Nothing. You asked a question, so I answered it. _I felt like going and hitting my head against the wall-I would do anything to make this stupid, ignorant, annoying voice go away! I could hear the voice laugh after it had spoken. I fumed at the previous comment and tried to think of something to say.

'_Do you want anything else?' _I growled sarcastically.

_Oh yes. _It replied in a cheeky tone. _How's the little love bug situation going between you and the Storm Hawks girl? _It knew it was getting to me. I knew how to annoy myself and it was hitting all the right buttons. I could feel the Wallops grip tighten again as I started to tense up. I tried to calm down as the last thing I wanted was another death hug from the Wallop.

'_There is nothing going on! Just leave me alone!' _I snarled. I could feel my heart thumping faster and faster at the mention of the girl. I tried to stop the flush of pink from coming to my cheeks but I couldn't.

_Whatever. I'll be back to annoy you soon, I'll promise you that!_ It laughed as it finally went away. I breathed a sigh of relief but it soon disappeared and was replaced by a groan of disappointment. It was great that the voice had gone but just knowing it would be back was already annoying me.

I was being carried through corridor after corridor on the Condor. The mini parade suddenly stopped outside an old door. It opened automatically and the Wallop threw me in. I landed on the floor in a heap and my back clicked. I moaned an 'ouch' of agony as the two Storm Hawks shut and locked the door. I had the feeling I was going to be in here for a long time.

* * *

"Aerrow? Do you know where we are going, I feel like we're going around in circles." Piper said as she pushed another branch out of her way. They came to a small clearing, the one that Piper had collapsed in. "I've seen this clearing over five times in the past few hours! Aerrow, maybe we should just sit here for a while."

"No, Piper we have to get back as quick as possible.". Although Aerrow looked fine, his voice told a whole different story. It was shaking at every word and Piper knew it was hard for him to talk. Aerrow's mind was swarming with images of Piper and the Dark Ace and he wanted to throw up. "Follow me, we haven't tried this way yet." Aerrow said while gesturing towards a pathway she had not noticed. She sighed and unwillingly followed him, her mind also filled with thoughts of what had happened earlier on.

* * *

The sun was disappearing behind the horizon, filling the sky with a mixture of oranges, yellows and reds. The Condor was bathed in this light and the colours reached through the windows, shining on the floors and walls. Dark Ace was standing by the window-the only window that his room possessed. A few hours had passed since when he first arrived on the condor. His mind wondered for a while before he sighed. For the first time in a long time, he felt at peace. He stared at the sky, his mind free of all thoughts. The first few stars of the night began to appear in the sky. Sighing again, he turned around and stared at his room. As he laid his eyes on his bed, a specific unwanted memory entered his mind, over taking him.

"_Ace! You could have got your self killed. What do you think you were doing?!" A middle aged man was glaring down at a younger raven-haired boy. He had ruby red hair, just a bit lighter than the younger boys eyes and emerald green eyes that were filled with anger __and worry._

"_I was saving a fellow team mate. You would have done the same thing if you were like you were when you were younger." Ace growled. He stared back at the man, daring him to say something._

"_I have a family. I have a son! I can't do stuff like I used to, I have to value my life more." he replied with anger in his voice._

"_Then why do you care about me so much. Why aren't you back on Atmosia with your family." he murmured diverting his gaze from the man to the floor._

"_Because you are part of my family Ace. All the Storm Hawks are my family. You know that…" Ace's leader looked at him with sorrowful eyes. Ace didn't respond for a while. He was frozen, lost in his own world. It was a good five minutes before anything was done, physically or verbally._

"_I need some time…alone." Ace said, displaying no emotion in his voice._

"_I understand." he said as he turned towards the door. "Just remember, I'm here if you need me, we all are."._

"_Yeah, yeah. I know." he replied while still staring at the floor. When he was sure that he was alone, he reached under his bed and pulled out a guitar case. Opening it, he revealed a beautiful wooden brown guitar. Stroking it softly, he fingered the strings, __strumming them lightly. Sighing, he shut the lid and crouched down to reach under his bed. He pulled a small handle that revealed a small hole in the floor. Only Ace knew about this. He kept private things there, things that he wanted no one else to ever see. It was his secret. _

_Grabbing his guitar, he placed it into the hole and closed the hatch. He stood up and walked to the door, hoping that it would survive the act he would soon commit. Taking one last look at his room, he walked out towards the bridge just as the alarms started to sound._

Coming out of his memory, he realised that this was his room. _'No wonder it felt so familiar'_ he said to himself, taking in all the details he possibly could about the room. The guitar suddenly entered his mind again, and Dark Ace questioned himself. _'Did it survive? No surely not, it must have been found or destroyed.'. _He kneeled down on the floor and reached under his bed. He felt the small handle that opened the hatch. Drawing his breath, he pleaded for it to open. It did, with ease. He felt a smile play upon his lips as he reached inside. He felt the familiar wooden case and filled with new energy, he pushed forward and retrieved the case. Pulling himself back on to the bed, he sat down with the case on his lap. He followed the twisting and curling engravings on the case with his fingers, reminding himself of how often he did that when he was younger.

Slowly and ever so carefully, he undid the latch. He gasped as he laid his eyes on his most prized possession. If there was one thing that the Dark Ace regretted leaving behind when he moved to Cyclonia, it was his guitar. But now, as he held it in his arms, he felt free and young again. When he was younger, he taught himself how to play since no one else knew. He had learned the chords quickly and he could play well by the time he was about sixteen. That was before he killed them. He didn't know if he could play anymore. He ran his fingers up and down the strings, wondering.

The Dark Ace was disturbed from his thoughts as he heard voices outside his room. He could distinctively pick out Aerrow's hushed tones, however he couldn't hear what he was saying. Piper was obviously there too. They were having a whispered argument, but about what was still a mystery to Dark Ace. Placing his guitar down on the bed, he made his way over to the door. Pressing his ear up against the door, he listened to their heated conversation.

* * *

Piper was standing in front of Aerrow glaring up at him, her amber eyes filled with several emotions. Her hair was clean and nearly dry since the first thing she did when she arrived back was have a shower and her cuts and wounds had finally stopped bleeding. "No. I will not go in there! It's too confusing. If you want to find out what went on, go and ask him yourself!" she hissed. Although she was ok about this on the way to the Condor, all her anxiety had built up and now she just doesn't want to even look at the man.

"Please Piper, I can't talk to him! It's like Cyclonis and the Sky Knight Council going to have a everyday chat. It just won't work!!" he retaliated viciously, though Piper could pick up begging in his tone.

'_I can't say no!'_ she thought to herself. His green eyes bore into her soul, pleading her. _'And he's right. What's the worst that can happen? He kisses me again? Like that would happen.'._

"Fine, I'll go."she grumbled unhappily."But you owe me big." she added, pointing a finger at Aerrow before she opened the door. Aerrow grinned and stood out of the doorway so he couldn't be seen.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry about the wait, I've been really busy recently so I just haven't had the time to work on the chapters. Anyway, here is chapter 3! Please R&R!**

The Dark Ace heard the whispering cease and quickly ran away from the door so it was to appear that he had not been eavesdropping. Though he had heard some of the conversation, it was so distorted that he could not make head nor tail of it. As he heard someone open the door, he quickly averted his gaze to the ground, so he could not see the persons face. "Dark Ace?" a girl whispered. A sudden burst of anger erupted inside him. How he hated that name, the _Dark_ Ace. A name forced upon him when he first entered Cyclonia. He had no free choice about his name. Keeping his anger away from his voice he replied quietly.

"Please, just call me Ace." he said while still staring at the floor. His tone was flat and emotionless, like it had been when he was talking to the previous Storm Hawks leader. Ace heard the footsteps approaching him, his heart started to beat rapidly. He could feel the flush of pink coming to his cheeks again. _'Oh this is not good. No…this is very bad. Don't look up, don't look up, don't look up.' _he told himself rapidly. His eyes darted over the metal floor plates, trying his best to distract himself from the young girl. The small bed moved a bit as she sat down on it and Ace flinched as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "P-piper, pl-lease. I-I need-d t-to be al-alone." he stuttered. He started to shiver when she took a hold of his chin with her other hand and turned his face so he was looking at her. His eyes were darting from her hand on his chin to her amber eyes. They were filled with worry and concern. The evil Dark Ace, most feared talon in all of Atmos, the one person who has brought down and killed many Sky Knights and their Squadrons, the one man who has no mercy for anyone, shivering at a girls touch. Piper had never seen him like this, she had never imagined him to ever act or behave like this before, His shivering decreased to a minimum as she gently removed her hands from his shoulder and face. He turned his head slowly and stared at the wall, his dull red eyes pleading for answers of questions that he did not understand.

Sighing, Piper started to look around the room since she had never been in here herself. Her curious gaze fell upon the guitar that was lying behind Ace. She picked it up, and studied all the intricate designs and patterns carefully. "What's this?" she asked gingerly. Ace looked at the guitar, avoiding Piper's gaze and mumbled a reply, barely audible.

"Guitar.". She nodded and realised that she wasn't going to get anywhere by asking about his guitar. Unknown to her, this is what made Ace open up a bit more. "Got it when I was young." he added as Piper looked at him. She decided to ask another question. _'Maybe,' _she thought _'maybe I can get him to open up more about is past, maybe dig up the real Ace.'_.

"Where did you get it?" she asked again, becoming more and more curious about the man that was sat in front of her. He sighed, finding no reason to not share his past. _'Anyway, it might help.' _he said to himself. He turned so he was sat on the bed and faced Piper. Thinking deeply, he tried to delve deeper into his past, to obtain some information on where he got it.

"I was 10, I was on Terra Saharr, alone. I had lost my family when I was 8 and wherever I went, most people ignored me or stared at me like I was filth." he began, his voice still flat. Piper was pulled into his past. "I had no carer or guardian and I was sitting outside this, tent or whatever it was, pleading for food. I had nothing back then, only clothes and a little picture of my family. Every so often, I would pull out the picture and plead for my family to come home. Back then, I didn't actually know my family was dead. Last I saw of them was them being taken away on some Talon's skimmers. I was hidden when we were attacked, my brother told me to stay where I was and don't come out until it was safe. Screams had filled the air as soon as my brother left me. It was horrible.

"When I emerged from the rubble, I was shocked. Everything was gone, destroyed. All the items that were in one piece, well, it was being taken by robbers and the poor. I only found the picture.". Ace paused briefly before starting again. "When I was outside that tent, there was one man who took pity on me. He was quite old, long grey hair that ended around his waist. Wrinkles and scars covered his face. He knew what I had gone through. It has happened to him. He couldn't help me, but decided to give me something." he said while motioning to the guitar. "It was always special to me. I protected it from everything and everyone. He was the only person who had felt sympathy to me then.". Finished, he sighed deeply and lay down on his back, closing his eyes, trying to shake off the horrible memories of what had happened to him. Piper looked at Ace and took in what he had just said. A question stirred in her mind, begging to be answered. Looking at Ace, she drew her breath and spoke gently.

"Ace?". His eyes fluttered open and he looked at her. Piper paused and her heart skipped a beat. How come she had never noticed it before? His eyes were so beautiful, the red was so deep and so full of unveiled emotions. They were full of passion, no anger for once. His pale skin was unscarred and smooth, weird for a man who had fought many battles. _'No wonder he's so cute!' _she said to herself. He looked at her in confusion.

"Uh…Piper?" he raised an eyebrow in question. Piper snapped back to reality and realised she had been staring.

"I was just…it was nothing!" she blurted out while Ace laughed. _'Wow! Even his laugh is gorgeous!' _she said in awe. Ace smiled and looked at her again. Piper could feel herself starting to blush so she quickly tried to think of the question that was bugging her so much. Finally remembering it, she asked it with caution. "You know when you were young, how did you join the original Storm Hawks because well…just how?" she questioned, flinching as Ace's expression changed. His smile disappeared and his eyes which were shining before were now replaced by an angry glare

"I don't wish to speak of it." he said coolly. His voice was full of ice and bitterness, every word piercing Piper. She sighed deeply and dropped her eyes to the floor. _'Way to go Piper.' _she said sarcastically. Ace saw her face and knew she was just curious. Thinking it over in his mind he came to a conclusion. "However," he muttered quietly. "since I have already revealed a part of my past to you that I have to no one else, I suppose I could tell you about your predecessors and I.". Pipers reaction was immediate, she looked up at Ace with her amber eyes, begging to hear about the old Storm Hawks.

"Please, do tell!" she pleaded, excitement taking over her. She had always wanted to know more about the old Storm Hawks, she knew that Aerrow's father had been the Sky Knight and Ace had been co-pilot but she needed to know more. That familiar grin spread across Ace's face again as he looked at Piper. Curiosity had taken over her senses again. She was silently staring at Ace, waiting for him to start. Clearing his throat he began to talk again.

"Well, when I was about your age, maybe just a bit older, I was working in a mechanic's shop, fixing skimmers and selling parts. I was in better condition then. I had money, somewhere to live and I had a few friends. Some people still gave me weird looks. I guess it was because of my eye colour. It was rare to have red eyes, still is. But I had learned to ignore it. One day, the Condor landed there. It had a few problems. Speed impellor broken, shields damaged and the engines were playing up. So I offered to have a look around. They agreed and I managed to fix all of the problems on there. They were amazed at my skills and asked me if I wanted to join as co-pilot. I had nothing to lose and they seemed like good people so I agreed." he stopped and reached for his guitar case.

Hidden in the side of the case was a photo. He pulled it out and showed it to Piper, pointing to each person and telling their names. "That's Irin, Aerrow's father and Sky Knight of the squadron. We were like best friends." he stopped again and looked at Irin. He was just like an older version of Aerrow-Scruffy red hair, emerald green eyes and that cheeky grin that he carried everywhere. Moving along, he pointed to a tall, slender female with long flowing green hair. She had brown eyes, filled with ambition. "That's Faire. She was the wingman, or woman. She was so nice to me, probably the nicest person on the team.". Ace's eyes began to water but he pulled back the tears and carried on. Next to Faire was a small boy, raven black hair and deep Red eyes.

"That's you." Piper exclaimed, taking a closer look at the photograph. Not much had changed. Only the uniform, how tall he was and how he had built up over the years of being a Cyclonian commander. "You look so similar to how you were then." she added. _'Cute and handsome!' _she giggled to herself.

"Yeah, well." he said, shrugging. "Not much you can do about that!" he chuckled lightly. "As well as being co-pilot, I also helped out this guy here with the mechanics and skimmers" he explained, pointing to the person next to young Ace. A tall man with blonde hair was grinning like mad, an arm around young Ace's shoulder and one around the female Merb next to him. "You could say that was the Finn of the group. If I didn't know better, I'd say they were related! He was called Tarren but we just called him Tar. I don't know why. He was a mechanic and helped me learn more about the skimmers and stuff. When I made improvements to my Switchblade Elite in Cyclonia, I used most of the knowledge that I had gained from Tarren." he sighed deeply, recalling all the times that they had spent together. He then pointed to the female Merb at the end of the line. She was white all over apart from her mouth and nose which was a pale grey. Her eyes were a hazel brown colour and amusement sparkled in them as she laughed at the team. "Daji was unlike any Merb I have ever met. She was the carrier pilot, like Stork, though she wasn't as attached to the condor as he is. Mind you, for a female Merb, she was very adventurous and pulled some of the best stunts I have ever seen anyone do in a carrier ship! Apparently, that's how they broke the high speed impellor." he sighed again. His smile faded and the memories of that dreadful day flooded back to him.

"Then I went and killed them all, fed by stupid rumours that the Talons that killed my family were actually Sky Knights in disguise. I was so stupid, then when I was at Cyclonia, I found out that it was just a plan to get me here. I was in grief for ages, I tried to escape but they kept catching me and punished me every time. I think Cyclonis was the only reason I actually stayed. She was kind to me, although she was only about four years old when I arrived. She's changed so much since then though. After a while, I toughened up and forgot about what I did, eventually becoming the ruthless commander I am today." he paused and shook his head. "Oh God, look at me! I'm here, depressed and spilling out my past to my mortal enemy's team mate .". He gave a cry of anguish and fell backwards onto the bed, feeling a tear roll down his cheek, the first one in many, many years.

It felt like a new experience, it had been that long. He never got sad, the Dark Ace never let off any emotions other than anger in peoples presence. But he wasn't the Dark Ace now. He was just Ace, on the Condor where he should have stayed all those years ago. He was mixing with the enemy, the _enemy._ '_I'm a traitor to Cyclonia, to Cyclonis.' _he said to himself miserably.He felt a hand on his shoulder and blinked, clearing his vision slightly. He saw amber eyes staring into his red ones and he gasped, realising how close they were.

"Don't cry, please don't cry." Piper muttered before she closed the space between them, her lips brushing against his. The sudden movement shocked Ace. He hadn't seen this coming. He froze and started to protest but before he could do anything, Piper's hands were caressing his head, tickling behind his ears. Ace pulled out of his state and his hands made their way down to Piper's waist, pulling her tiny, slender frame on top of him. Their kiss became more passionate and soon, Ace forgot all about his past. He had never been treated like this. He loved every moment of this new feeling, wanting it to last forever and ever.

This was new to Piper as well. Never had she seen this side of Ace, mostly because they were engaged in battle or whatever. She broke the kiss and heard Ace whimper quietly. Smiling, she removed the headband from around his face and placed it on the bed. She ran her hands through his dark hair and thought deeply. "You know, I never thought I would see this side of you. But I guess that most of that 'No mercy' stuff was just a shell covering your true emotions." she purred, now teasing his hair between her fingers. Ace placed both his hands on her shoulders and flipped her over so now she was on her back and he was on top of her. A small squeak of surprise escaped her while a cheeky grin was plastered across his face.

"You know," he muttered, pausing to place small kisses along her neck and jaw line. "I still have no mercy, just in a different…area." he nipped her neck, a small shudder of excitement emitting from her body and a barely audible moan of pleasure escaped her slightly parted lips. Ace pulled his upper body off of Piper and took her hands with his, intertwining their fingers while gazing into her sparkling, amber eyes. He leaned over to her ear and whispered into her ear, "You are one of the most beautiful, and if I may add, sexiest woman I have ever seen.". His hair tickled the side of her face and his tongue flicked against Piper's ear, causing her cheeks to flush a rosy pink. Ace moved back down so they were now face to face, nose's brushing against one another and he captured her lips with his own, silently begging for entrance which she quickly granted. She moaned again as she felt Ace's tongue explore her mouth, taking in every single detail possible. He untangled their hands and moved his through her midnight blue hair, savouring its soft texture while Piper's hands found Ace's waist and hastily wrapped them around him, pulling him closer.

Ace deepened their kiss, making it more passionate than it already was. A small click alerted him back to his senses and he froze, unwillingly pulling away from Piper, turning around slowly. She already seemed alert to the situation and let out a small whimper as she saw a figure at the door. Ace's back had been facing the door while he was with Piper, so he was oblivious to the person who had entered the room. "Step away from her Dark Ace." a male voice hissed, venom injected in every word. Ace's eyes widened in a state of shock, embarrassment and terror.

_Ooh, never piss off a Sky Knight. _A voice stated smartly in his head.

'_Do you mind?! Now is not the best time to be stating the obvious!' _he snarled back, and to his bewilderment, the voice did not reply. Although this was not the time to be having a mini celebration about finally conquering a voice in his head. The young red head approached Ace, an angry spark apparent in his evergreen eyes. Viciously, he grabbed Ace, who was still on top of Piper, by his collar and lifted him to his face height. Aerrow glared at Ace, hatred filling his soul. Ace glared back, though his could not get anywhere near as angry as the young Sky Knight's. Aerrow then decided to speak, venom still eminent in his voice.

"Have I got a bone to pick with _you." _


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm so sorry about the wait. Been a bit stressed with school and stuff. Thanks for reviewing people! It means a lot, please don't forget to keep it up. Here's chapter 4. Sorry again that it's a bit shorter than other chapters. **

"You." he sneered, his voice filled with spite and jealously. Aerrow's green eyes were filled with anger and it was directed at one person, and that unfortunate soul was caught by his collar in Aerrow's hands. "Of all the things, you do that. I'm disgusted."

Ace's usually red, anger filled eyes were now full of terror. He was confused, unsure what to do in this situation, alone and had got on the wrong side of an already stressed teenage Sky Knight who was armed and ready to kill.

'_I should have known what love could do to him.' _he thought, cursing himself for his stupidity. He'd robbed the Sky Knight of what he loved. _'If only he's told her sooner, I wouldn't be stuck in this situation.'_ Reassuring himself, he turned his gaze to the still girl who she had remained on the bed throughout the ordeal so far.

She was still immobilized by fright and her carnelian eyes were filled with the same shock and terror that filled Ace's blood red ones. He could see her lips moving slightly, her voice trying to speak but it did not obey her.

"Aerrow, don't do this, I didn't mean it…" he begged returning the stare once again, this time more softness and pleading in it. He struggled to release himself from the teen's grip. It didn't falter at all. A cold icy sweat was starting to grow on his brow and his arms were paralyzed, stuck by his side, useless.

"I should have just killed you when I had the chance." Aerrow murmured before balling his fist. The older mans eye's opened in realisation before the blow came. He closed his eyes, and made a feeble attempt to protect his face with his hands.

Aerrow brought his fist back and thrust it forward, knocking Ace right in the jaw. A crack emitted around the room, and blood was spilling from the corner of the older man's mouth. He kneed Ace harshly in the stomach before throwing him into the wall, and his body fell limp, slumping on the floor. Another few cracks were heard and Ace presumed he had now broken several other bones in his body other than his jaw. He lifted his head, winced, and looked at the Sky Knight.

His face was contorted and through his eye's you could see that his soul was twisted, now struggling with an emotional battle within himself. He held his head high, even though he was feeling so low on the inside. Ace was filled with a rage that he had only felt when he was in the air, battling with the enemy.

'_How dare he do this to me! And doesn't he think of how Piper might be feeling, the emotionless, self-centred git.'_ he thought furiously, straining hard as his strength began to leave him.

"Think of others rather than yourself. Isn't that what your father would have wanted from you?" Ace said, placing as much venom as he could into that sentence. This only earned him another kick in the chest from the wound up teen. _'Amazing what hormones can do to you.' _he thought, wincing at the pain now erupting from his chest.

"Leave my father out of this! You have no right to talk about him!" Aerrow screamed, advancing on the fallen commander. "You killed him! I had no father throughout my younger years because of you!"

As the teens body begun to block out the light, Ace began to feel dizzy and light-headed, his sight becoming distorted and fuzzy.

Before he could do anything, black began to fill his vision. He fought the invading darkness, using every ounce of his energy that he could possible summon. Images flashed before his eyes, mostly of the old Storm Hawks. Ace unwillingly gave into the force that was pulling him into his past, and he relaxed as he remembered his happiest times.

"_Ace! Come on! Get your lazy butt out here, we're aren't gonna wait all day for you!" Irin shouted, directing his voice from the hangar down the corridors leading towards other parts of the ship. Explosions emitted from outside the walls of the Condor and a younger version of himself appeared, black hair swaying in the wind and a big grin on his face. His read eyes were full of excitement as he jogged towards the awaiting red haired man on his skimmer. _

"_You wouldn't let me miss out on my first battle would you Irin?" he joked. Irin teasingly revved the engine and started towards the open door. "Alright, I get the point." he laughed as he ran towards the side car. _

"_Don't forget, as soon as I say-"_

"_Don't worry, I get it! As soon as we leave the hangar and get onto the open air, pull the lever to let out the wings so we don't go spiralling towards out doom in the wastelands." he said. "We have been training you know. Lets go kick some Cyclonian butt!" he shouted as the skimmer started towards the blue sky, showered with red and blue blasts._

"_Now that's what I'm talking about!" Irin yelled as the wings came out._

The memory of his first battle faded and another popped up, just as happy.

"_Hey Faire, can you pass me that wrench." Ace called towards the slender, green haired female who was currently engrossed in a pop magazine. _

"_Yeah…sure…whatever…" she mumbled as she continued staring at the page. Ace sighed and heaved himself out from under Irin's skimmer. Black grease covered his face and hands and his hair was a mess, sticking out at awkward angles. His red eyes scanned the floor around him, looking for the wrench he had placed down not too long ago. He walked backwards slowly and stumbled over the object he was looking for. _

_The loud crash reached through to Faire and she rushed over to see what was wrong. After she saw Ace on the floor, she burst out laughing, clutching her sides. He let out a slight moan and tried to get up, only to slip on some oil that was leaking from a knocked over can, and therefore falling over again causing Faire to laugh even harder. _

_Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes and her mouth was open, struggling to gain oxygen from the air around her. _

"_Ace, you gotta stop! You're killing me!" she shrieked as another fit of laughter swept over her. He pouted at Faire from the floor and then smiled._

"_It wouldn't kill you to help me you know." he said, a smirk taking over his features. She ceased her laughing but still had a gorgeous smile on her face. Sighing she held out her hand for him to grab onto._

"_I'm sorry, it's just with you…and the falling…"she said, waving her hands around in the air. Ace smiled even wider than before._

"_Forget it, it was kind of funny." he admitted, grabbing his wrench and proceeding with his work. He heard Faire sit back down again with her magazine, licking the tip of her index finger and gently flicking the pages over. _

_He felt his cheeks grow warm at the thought of her but it was soon pushed away. He was a Storm Hawk, and he had a job to do._

Faire left Ace's mind, much to his dismay, and Tarren popped up.

"_Faire is so gonna freak when this baby is triggered." Tarren exclaimed, excitement tickling his senses. The blonde left his trap and strolled over to Ace who was leaning against a doorpost on the other side of the hall. _

"_She is going to be mental when she finds out you did it." Ace said, a grin etched onto his face. _

"_But it'll be worth it!" Tarren said with glee, rubbing his hands together at the thought of it. _

_The prank was very simple. Everybody knew that Faire was afraid of anything that could either a)Ruin her make-up or b)Mess up her hair or clothes. She took her look very seriously. So Tarren had simply put a bucket full of this mornings stale porridge on top of her door and when she would open it…splat!_

"_So simple, yet so effective! I'm such a genius." Tarren muttered, running his hand through his spiky, blonde hair. Ace rolled his eyes and made his way back to his room. He pulled out sis guitar case from under his bed and opened it. He fingered the patterns before strumming the strings lightly, and he began to play a small tune._

_Suddenly a high pitched scream echoed through the Condor and he heard the footsteps of his leader sprinting past the door. Ace knew what it was, so he wasn't in a hurry to get there. He put the guitar back in the case, locked it and put it away where it was safe out of harms way. He got up and stretched his back, flinching as he heard some of the bones in his back click._

_Walking out of the room, he looked left and right before hearing voices coming from near Tarren's room. Going to investigate, he saw what he had expected. Tarren was standing in the doorway of his room, a load of porridge on his head. Faire was grinning triumphantly, her arms crossed over her chest and her hair tied back in a bun. _

"_Sweet revenge…" she muttered before she winked at Ace and walked away. A tinge of pink touched his cheeks before he brushed it away. She winked at everyone. It was like and action or mark or…something. _

"_How…but…" Tarren stuttered, still in a state of shock from what had happened. Ace laughed before walking back to his room, images of Faire plaguing his mind. _

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you." Aerrow spat, his harsh voice bringing Ace back to reality. He groggily looked up at the silhouette in front of him. He thought long and hard, but could come up with nothing.

'_I don't have any reason…I was destined to die, but not like this.' _he said to himself. His head was throbbing and if the teen didn't kill him, the pain from his broken jaw, thumping headache and other various parts of his body soon would. "Think of others before yourself before you make the wrong decision Aerrow…you don't want to know the consequences." Ace murmured, his eyes fluttering open and closed.

'_So this is what death feels like…'_ Ace thought as dark colours began to distort his vision once again, and his senses became muddled as his head started to spin. He finally managed to squeeze out a few words before he passed out. "This isn't over…" he whispered as the darkness finally claimed his soul as it's own.

Ace's black hair fell over his now closed eyes and his lips parted slightly as he took each fragile but life saving breath. The blood from his mouth still flowed freely and his foot was bent at an awkward angle suggesting it was broken in several places. He was not dead yet, but Aerrow would see to that.

"It already is…for you." Aerrow grinned triumphantly, a look that did not belong to him. Evil seemed to be corrupting his once gentle and handsome features, his mouth turned unnaturally upwards, creases appearing on his cheeks and forehead. His once sparkling, gentle eyes were now filled with unfair glory and his shoulders were held back as he leered down at his unconscious rival.

"Let's end this here and now." he growled, pulling one of his blades from his back. The crystal activated, surrounding the sword in a threatening and eerie blue. Walking closer to Ace, he raised his dagger above his head. He was less than a meter away now from the fallen man, within easy striking distance.

"Goodbye…traitor." he snarled viciously as he brought the dagger down towards the man's beating chest.


	5. Chapter 5

**Mwahahah! That's my evil laugh. Now where was I…I was about to kill Dark Ace, wasn't I. Hah! Like I'd kill him…he's my fav character. Anyhow, I'm feeling hyper, so watch out! R&R people! Keep 'em coming!**

Aerrow brought his activated blade swiftly down towards the Dark Ace's barely moving chest. His mouth was curled into a malicious snarl and his eyes were no longer filled with the kindness they once were.

As he thought he was about to deliver the fatal blow that would end this man's life, he shut his eyes. Even though he was angry and feeling very violent at that point, hew could not bear to see blood splattering everywhere.

To his surprise, he was met with resistance, but it was not from the man below him. Instead it was from the person he had least expected it from. Aerrow opened his eyes, glaring daggers at the woman who was kneeling almost against the floor. Her midnight hair was down and her breaths were short and shallow but she wasn't going to give up easily.

Piper was crouching with her right leg out to the side and her left leg underneath her, supporting her from the force that came from above her. Both of Piper's hands where firmly clasped onto the crystal staff which she held out above her head, preventing the dagger from advancing any closer. Her muscles were straining against Aerrow's strength but she held tight, not moving one bit.

Her carnelian eyes were directed at the floor and small tears were running down her cheeks, leaving small trails on her brown skin. A few dropped onto the floor making barely audible noises as they hit the cold, metal floor.

Her cheeks were tinged with red and her lip was quivering; she was trying her hardest to look brave but it didn't phase Aerrow one bit.

"I will not let you kill him…" she hissed through her silent crying. "He's gone through too much to die this way." Piper averted her gaze upwards and at the man in front of her, her eyes full of anger and misery.

She was confused and hurt, seeing the one person she had known for almost all her life acting this way, like she had never seen before. Her childhood friend that she felt as if she had known forever and the one she had always looked up to, was now standing in front of her, barely recognisable. Piper didn't like him like this, and she wanted it gone.

Aerrow just stared at her, now also becoming a slight bit confused, but he didn't let this show. Thoughts were running through his head. Isn't this what they set out to do? To avenge his father and all the sky knights that had been killed at this mans blade? To rid the Atmos of evil and save it from harm?

But instead here he was, seemingly attacking one of his own squad mates who he is-was in love with who in fact was actually protecting his arch enemy who he swore one day to kill and who was about ten minutes ago, making out with her.

Feeling a slight bit dizzy, he shook his head free of all thoughts, and turned back to his current situation. Remaining in his current position, he came to one conclusion.

"Piper," he growled in a very menacing tone. "Get out of my way." Aerrow pushed down further on her staff but to his annoyance, she didn't budge. He gritted his teeth and threatened her again. "I won't hesitate to kill anyone in my way." Aerrow snarled as an evil glint in his eyes appeared.

"Don't…kill…Ace…" was all Piper managed to say while taking in as much oxygen as possible. _'I've gone through too much for this to happen now…'._ A glimmer of hope graced her features as she saw a small movement behind Aerrow.

Suddenly, the hope was wiped off and replaced with shock. She gasped as she felt a pain erupt in her side; Aerrow had taken her exhaustion and distraction as an advantage and had decided to kick her in the side. She hit the wall and slumped against it, obviously unconscious.

Though Aerrow's shell showed him grinning cruelly, on the inside he was falling apart. For the past few years, he had been falling head over heels for this girl and now he was kicking her away just to get to the man that she liked, and to kill him. To cause them both pain. This was no longer about the saving the Atmos or being the hero. It was now just him and Ace, a personal battle.

Aerrow swung around, his mind only focused on one thing; kill the Dark Ace. Bringing his dagger once again above his head, he prepared to give the final blow.

"I've waited years for this moment and it has now finally come. Seeing your blood leaving you will be a pleasure, to avenge all those who have died by your hand, to see the light leave your eyes forever…" Aerrow muttered to himself.

Ace's body was still in the same position that it was in a few moments ago. His head rested on one of his shoulders and if it wasn't for the oddly angled foot and cuts littering his body, you would have thought that he was just sleeping. His chest rose and fell with every deep breath and sweat covered his forehead in a light layer. His eyes were closed, for what seemed like the last time.

Aerrow noticed that Ace was quickly regaining consciousness; his fingers were beginning to twitch and his closed eyes were starting to open, slowly but surely. A light groan emitted from his slightly parted mouth and his head moved just a bit.

The dagger that was held firmly in the boys grip stayed frozen in place, just above Ace's neck. He thought deeply.

Aerrow felt rage build up inside him. How could he do this to Piper? Well…how could Aerrow AND Dark Ace do this to Piper? Was killing him all that mattered to him now? Questions swarmed his head, begging to be answered. Green eyes filled themselves with confusion and an inner struggle was evident. Those same words that had come emitted from Piper's lips swarmed his mind. "_Don't...kill...Ace..."_

He cried out in frustration. How was killing him going to help?! He needed answers and if he killed Ace, he wouldn't be able to get those precious things. It would bug him for the rest of his life if he did this.

Making up his mind, Aerrow powered down his dagger and watched the blue energy be swallowed back into the striker crystal. Throwing it to the ground, the troubled teen rubbed his forehead and tried to stop the ongoing pain inside his thumping head.

Blinking several times, he assured himself that he was doing the right thing and if worst came to worst, well, he could kill him afterwards.

Kneeling down, Aerrow brought his arms under Ace's and hauled himself to his feet. He grunted under the weight of the older man pulling him down. Deciding that this wasn't going to work, he laid him back down on the ground again and proceeded to simply drag Ace out of the room.

Walking backwards, Aerrow nearly tripped over one of Piper's legs and as he regained his balance, he made a mental note to put her in her in the infirmary later.

A swoosh of air told him that he had nearly made it to the automatic doors of the room. The interrogation room was just down the hall and it would take Aerrow less than five minutes to get there at the rate he was going.

* * *

The corridors were strangely quiet and the echoes of Aerrow's footsteps bounded off the metal walls. It had become considerably colder and he was sure that it was nearing the later part of the evening.

A shiver ran down his spine as he reached the doors leading to the room. A small number pad was at about shoulder height to the left of the door and Aerrow quickly punched in a 4 digit code. He knew he would have to change it, Piper would no doubt try and help him get out from there.

There was a small mattress placed in the far corner of the room and the young teen, summoning up the strength he had left, pulled Ace over to it. With a sigh of relief he let the man's body fall onto the makeshift bed. It bounced a bit but soon became still once more.

Aerrow shivered again; he had never liked this room. It was so dark and grey, it made you feel really miserable and alone. He walked back over towards the door as quickly as possible, eager to get away from the place. The sooner he left, the better.

* * *

Piper awoke to the sound of a door being slammed. She felt groggy and for a moment, forgot what had been happening. It had turned out that she had only been unconscious for around ten minutes but to her, it had felt a lot longer than that.

She slowly stood up, reaching out for the wall to steady her as she felt a rush of dizziness over take her body. As she managed to find her feet, a wave of nausea hit her and she had the urge to vomit.

Piper was glad when it passed and thought she was OK but when she straightened up and felt a sharp pain in her ribs, she thought otherwise.

With a sharp intake of breath, she collapsed against the wall in a still-standing-but-slightly-slumped position and her breathing increased rapidly along with other things in her best effort to try and ignore the pain. Reaching down with her eyes squeezed closed, she blindly felt for her staff to use as a support.

Piper's hands made contact with the cool, solid metal and she sighed with relief as she brought it into a standing position. Leaning and putting most of her weight onto it, she finally opened her eyes to look at the places which were causing her pain.

She could feel a lot of pain emitting from her chest and she quickly passed that off as several broken ribs. Her ankle was hurting but she could still move it; an obvious sprain. What really worried her was her leg. It was what had originally stopped her from moving due to the sharp pain she had felt when she had stood up.

Taking a closer look, Piper softly ran her fingers over her skin and flinched at the touch. It was sore and inflamed. She tried to move her knee and her eyes shot open, accompanied with a gasp as the agony swept through her system. Staying still, she finally concluded that it too, was broken in several places.

Lifting her head, she looked around the room and suddenly all her pain and discomfort was forgotten about. There were papers and documents everywhere and dark red blood soaked them. She limping towards them while ignoring her body that was pleading her to stop.

Bringing her fingers down to touch the wet substance, Piper began to remember everything. She gasped in horror. Guilt flooded her soul as she remembered how she told herself that she would protect Ace, do anything to make sure he stayed safe and then she remembered how she fell under…

Her guilt turned to anger. Pure, untouched anger. She felt betrayed by the one person she had trusted most. Aerrow, the kind hearted, handsome, red-headed teen had turned into a monster right before her eyes.

She put her free hand on her thigh and wept tears of bitter sadness. Piper was distressed and it was only when she realised that she could feel a small lump in her pocket she stop crying. She sniffed and brought her hand up to the entrance of the pocket, feeling around inside. Locating the mysterious object, she pulled it out and examined it.

It was a crystal, a translucent red in colour. The inside of it appeared to be moving around in it's solid prison, glistening in the light. Piper recognised the crystal in an instant; it was one of her many experiments. She had kept in her pocket for safety reasons when she left the Condor and met Dark Ace. It was a Healer Crystal.

Piper found that it could only be used three times before it became useless. She had already used one up by testing it and trying to find out how it worked and what it did. She began to think.

'_If I use one now, that will only leave one use left. If I find Ace, I could use it on him.' _she fingered the crystal, tossing it lightly while she thought. Making up her mind, she caught the stone and held onto it tight.

The Healer glowed a bright red that surrounded itself before surrounding Piper with as well. A low hum filled the room and Piper closed her eyes. As the crystal just about finished working it's magic, she opened her eyes again. The last of the light retreated back into the crystal and it dimmed down to a light glow, showing that it's power was now quite weak.

Piper stood up with no difficulties at all and was just about to walk out the door when she noticed Ace's guitar. She walked back over to the bed and picked up the instrument. She realised it was quite light for it's size and she marvelled at it while placing it back into it's case. Flipping the lid down, she secured the catches slid it under the bed for safekeeping.

She made her way back to the door and out of the destroyed room. She stayed against the walls; the last thing she wanted was a run in with Aerrow. Hidden in the shadows, she silently crept down the hall. She rounded a corner just in time to hear and see the door to the interrogation open. She hit the wall and stopped breathing, trying her best to hide herself. She pleaded to herself that she wouldn't be detected by anyone.

Aerrow walked out through the doors and to her surprise, he looked greatly troubled. His shoulders were slumped and she could just catch a glimpse of his eyes. They were devoid of all emotions and had lost their cheerful green colour, it was replaced by a dead, dark green instead. He ran a shaking hand through his messy red hair and continued down the hall, oblivious to the girl standing in the shadows.

When Piper was sure that Aerrow was long gone, she let out her breath and sighed with relief. She quickly looked left and right before slowly making her way over to the glowing number pad on the other side of the hall.

It was well into the night now and darkness swarmed the ship like a giant shadow. The buttons glowed an eerie green, illuminating parts of Piper's face and the air around them. They stood out a lot against the dark grey wall and they looked a bit like they were floating in mid-air.

Piper hastily punched in the code and felt her muscles tense as all the possibilities that might go wrong raced through her head. '_What if he's so badly injured that the crystal can't heal him? What if he dies? What if he's already dead…no. I mustn't think like that.'_ Piper was so lost in thought that she didn't realise that the door had opened. Coming back to her senses, she rushed inside and squinted as her eyes adjusted to the darkness.

As shapes began to form, Piper gasped and placed her hand over her mouth in shock. Her eyes widened with horror as she saw a crumpled form on the ground in front of her. The distraught girl hoped he wasn't what she thought he was. Hesitantly, she slowly walked over to the limp body and silently screamed while short, sharp breaths escaped her.

"Ace…" she whispered, falling to the floor and putting her head in her hands. Sobs began to fill the silent room and tears rolled down her warm cheeks, splashing to the floor. Piper's shoulders were shaking as she denied what she thought had happened.

The girl stopped suddenly and fell silent - had she heard something? _No, it was just a fiction of my imagination, only creating what I want to hear._ But still, she stayed quiet and listened. Her eyes opened as she felt her heart speed up and a smile broke out on her face.

A cough.

It was harsh and rough, but it was still a cough.

Piper started to cry again, she had never heard anything better. These tears were those of joy and happiness, of knowing that the one person that she loved was still alive.

Focusing herself, she put her shaking hand into her pocket and felt around for the life-saving crystal. Grasping it, she held it out and placed it on Ace's moving chest. It glowed as it had done before, and surrounded Ace in a bright red light. It worked wonders on his body, swirling and hovering around his injuries, fixing him and making him look like there had never been anything wrong with him.

The crystal's glow grew weak and the light began to fade around his body. The once beautiful stone was now dull and lifeless, devoid of all power and drained of all it's magic. If rolled off of the man's chest and fell to the floor with a 'clunk'. It now resembled a small rock, like one you would find while digging or just lying about on a random terra.

Piper crawled closer to Ace and looked at him lovingly, her eyes were still red and puffy but now they shone with hope and love. Biting down on her lip, she gazed at his still closed eyes and slightly parted mouth.

Her lingering gaze moved down his unscathed face, across his heavily built, muscular torso, past his thin waist and down his legs. She moved her hand from the floor beside her and placed it on Ace's soft, smooth cheek. It felt warm to the touch and Piper felt herself blush.

She flinched as she heard Ace groan and his eyes squeezed tightly together before slowly opening again. Crimson orbs peeked out sleepily from under his heavy eyelids and he smiled gently, realising that Piper's hand was on his cheek.

"Piper?" he croaked, his voice being cracked after not being used for a while.

"I'm sorry! I just…" she started, pulling her hand away from his cheek.

"No, don't. I like it." he murmured, grabbing her hand and preventing it from moving any further away.

Piper smiled before collapsing onto Ace's chest. The air was pushed out of him as Piper gave him a death hug.

"I was so worried about you. I thought you were dead!" she sobbed again, fresh tears dampening the former talons uniform. He didn't protest, he just brought a hand around her waist and held her close.

"Piper…Piper. I don't know what I would do without you." he sighed, burying his face into her hair and stroking her side softly.

He rolled onto his side and brought Piper down with him. Ace's chin rested on top of her head as she snuggled into his chest, getting as comfortable as possible. They both relaxed and before long, fell into a light slumber, accompanied by dreams filled with comfort and love.


	6. Chapter 6

**Just a quick notice, most of the stories I write are based at least four years in the future so it doesn't seem weird if…anything…happens. So no worries there!**

**I might a tiny bit of Lemon Content in, but I want to get your opinions first. Can you please review or PM me with your views and the majority of the votes will decide which path this story will take.**

**Keep up the reviews, the more reviews, the more will power I have to write! I'm not sure how long this story will take to write but I hope to wrap it up pretty soon since I have tonnes of other ideas on my mind.**

**Just to let you know, this chapter is mostly full of fluff and stuff…so yeah.**

The interrogation room let no light in through it's one sided window, leaving the room shrouded in an unbearable darkness. The air was humid, even though the harsh night brought below zero temperatures, and only the sound of quiet breathing could be heard. A thin layer of sweat covered the two sleepers bodies and several drops of the fluid rolled down their foreheads and onto the uncomfortable mattress.

Piper and Ace were sound asleep, oblivious to the outside world. Ace's injuries had been healed, thanks to the Healer crystal that Piper had kept in her pocket from earlier on that day. Without it, well, the former talon probably wouldn't be here now.

The two lovers bodies melded into one another, as if they were one being. The expressions on their faces showed no alarm or fear, despite the days events. Instead they were relaxed and peaceful, showing nothing but calmness in their sleep.

The pair were both lying on their sides, bodies facing towards the metal door. Piper lay in front of Ace, one leg almost straight and the slightly brought up a bit. Her arms were loosely held in towards her chest, and her head was resting on Ace's shoulder.

Her lips were slightly parted, and her breathing was barely audible to anyone who would have been in that same room. Pipers cheeks were tinted with a dark pink, due to the heat in the room and of being so close to another person. Her dark blue hair lay about her head, a part of it covering her left eye, the rest surrounding herself and Ace.

Ace had one of his arms draped across the girls waist, just going far enough that it touched her stomach. His gentle fingers twitched every so often and occasionally, they would drag against the soft material of her uniform. His body was pressed firmly up against her back, his head leaning lightly on the top of her shoulders, buried in her midnight hair.

In rare moments, a strand of hair would tickle Ace's nose and cause him to rub his torso against the female Storm Hawk's back, bringing a sort of content sighing sound from Piper. His lips would brush against the bare skin of her neck, sending a shiver down her spine.

Ace slowly began to shift, and he rolled over so he was on the other side of the mattress. His eye's started to open, revealing dull crimson orbs, surrounded in dark shadows. They twitched, trying to make out any sort of shapes in the pitch black room.

A sudden groan and shuffling of sheets made Ace jump out of his skin and made his heart leap out of his chest. He jerked and flipped off of the mattress, landing on the solid, concrete floor with a crack. A low sound in complete darkness was as effective as having a bucket full of ice cold water poured over your head to Dark Ace.

He winced as the pain of whatever he had done to himself sunk in. Pushing his chest off the ground, he shook his head and blinked a few times, trying to rid his body of the shock he had just had. He was on full alert as he tried to get himself onto his feet.

He looked to where the mattress was, and just made out the silhouette of a person. His mind clicked, and he instantly relaxed.

Ace cursed himself for being so stupid. Of course he knew what that groan had come from, how on earth could he have forgotten about Piper, especially after all she had done for him in the recent times.

He slowly climbed back on to the hard, makeshift bed, and proceeded to lie down beside the sleeping hawk. He brought himself upon his elbow, and leaned over Piper. Once again, he brought his arm over the girls waist and traced circles around her stomach, gently smiling to himself.

Ace leant down towards one of her ears and softly blew on it. He paused when Piper let out a deep sigh and he shifted slightly when she turned around to face Ace's chest. He gazed at her face for a while before bringing himself to her ear again.

Wearing a grin that could match that of a Cheshire Cat, Ace boldly flicked Piper's earlobe with the tip of his tongue. After a few moments, he heard a quiet yet distinguishable moan come from the sleeping girl.

Satisfied with her tiny reaction, he left her lobe and brought his head down so it level with hers. He shifted his body down and proceeded to plant small butterfly kisses down her face and neck, letting his lips brush against her sensitive skin.

Once again, Piper moaned, if not louder this time. Gaining more confidence, he nipped and sucked at the skin just at the base of her neck, bringing forth a whole chorus of sounds from the girl. His fingers drifted around her back, making her shudder with delight.

"Ace…" Piper gasped when Ace bit at her skin, before kissing it and brushing it with his tongue. Her eyes fluttered open and bright orange orbs revealed themselves to the dark room. The first thing she felt was the contact of someone's lips against her neck, continuously wandering over a particularly sensitive spot.

"Ace?" she muttered, bringing her hands out in front of her to feel her surroundings. Piper flinched when her hands bumped into something very close to her, and warm. Feeling the strange object, she realised it was Ace's chest.

"Yes, precious?" he replied huskily, ceasing his actions to look at the drowsy girl. She peered at him, squinting, trying to make out anything in the darkness. Piper let her hand wander up Ace's chest, past his shoulders, up his neck and onto his cheek.

She gently stroked him, her fingers going over the same area again and again. He sighed and brought his head up from her neck and up opposite to hers. She smiled, a graceful smile, and pulled Ace's head closer to hers. Their foreheads touched, and the pair felt some invisible thing course through their bodies.

"You're a good kisser." she murmured sleepily, bringing her fingers through Ace's raven-black hair. He smirked, and pushed his body closer to hers. Pulling his arm back over Piper's waist, he ran his hand up and down her thigh, slowly, pulling her closer to him.

"Thank you," he replied, seduction lingering in every word. "But you haven't seen anything yet…" Rather swiftly, he leaned forward and captured her lips in one move. Piper showed no resistance, instead she pushed forward, as if to deepen the kiss.

Ace brought his hand up and brushed the hair out of her face. It felt soft and velvety on his bare, sensitive fingertips. His gloves had been long gone, he must have taken them off when he was in the forest. At the thought of the forest, he was suddenly reminded of Aerrow and where he was. He forced the thoughts out of his head as he focused on what was in front of him.

Ace nibbled Piper's bottom lip hesitantly, to see what her reaction would be. Hearing her moan his name was enough for him. He bit and sucked on it firmly but not enough so it would hurt her. After a few minutes, he reluctantly pulled away, a croak coming from Piper's throat.

Piper stared at him, as if saying _What's wrong, why did you stop?_. Ace sighed, and he brought his hand up towards his forehead and frowned. His head dropped and his eyes closed tightly.

_Guess who! _Ace growled in frustration. He thought it had gone, he thought he had shut that stupid, ignorant voice up long ago.

"Ace? Are you ok? You look kinda stressed." Piper whispered, trying to get Ace to lift his head up so she could look into his eyes.

"No, it's nothing." Ace replied quietly, trying not to let out his anger.

_Oh, so now I'm known as 'nothing'? That's just great, why don't I give you a few labels then. What about arrogant, bossy, traitor…I got a good one! What about paedophile? _The voice carried on listing names as if it weren't bothering Ace at all. From the tone of cheekiness, it seemed it would to this till the end of time.

"Are you sure, you-" Piper started but she was cut off.

"I'm fine, just leave it." Ace snapped angrily, causing Piper to flinch and crawl away from the angered man. From Piper's point of view, it seemed that some of the talon spirit from Cyclonia had decided to return to it's champion for that sentence.

_Are you ignoring me? Am I annoying you? Awwww, poor ickle Acey can't keep his temper in front of the one he loves…_

The last sentence made Ace pause. Did he love Piper? He had never felt love before, maybe he had had flings and crushes, but love? No, he didn't know what it felt like.

Was it that uncontrollable rush of giddiness every time he saw Piper, that deep blush that his cheeks would gain when he thought of her, the rapidly beating butterflies in his stomach when he heard her name? Or maybe it was the way she made him feel, every time they made contact with each other. The way his heartbeat would grow faster and she made him feel relaxed.

She made him who he was now. Fast disappearing was his former self, the 'Dark' Ace. He felt better, less agitated, more…friendly. His mind wasn't set on war and power, it was set on Piper, and how he wanted to make her the happiest woman on earth.

It was true, he couldn't defy it. He was in love.

'_The one I love…' _he thought to himself. _'Piper, the one I love is Piper.'_

_Ha! He admitted it! He has deep feelings for the Storm Hawks Girl! He- _The voice paused for a second. _Wait, what!? You have feelings for the girl?! You love her!? GAH!! What the hell are you thinking?! There's no time in your life for love. You have a world to conquer, a title to live up to! Power, is all you need!!_

'_No.' _Ace replied calmly. The expression on his face becoming relaxed, his forehead loosening and his eyes slowly opening. _'Power, power means nothing to me now. I found something more exciting, more rewarding. Cyclonis gave me nothing, nothing except a cold glance. I would do things for her that would push any other man to his limits, but she wouldn't show any gratitude. My life, it's changed for the better.'_

_But what about your rivalry, your enemies! They wouldn't just believe that you've had a change of heart! _The voice seemed to get gradually louder, more aggressive in it's tone as it went on.

_You were a man with no feelings to them, nothing mattered to you except Cyclonia! You cannot change because of one little thing, you cannot change because you're heart said so, you cannot change because love is for WIMPS!!_

Ace growled inwardly, fuming at what he had just heard. _'Love, is not for wimps. It takes courage to admit to love, love can hurt, love can fool, love can even kill.'_ Ace didn't know what he was saying. He didn't know if what he just said was true, but somewhere in his body, somewhere, he knew it was.

'_If I now, had to choose between love, and power, I would choose love, anytime, anywhere. So do me a favour, and bugger off.' _Ace exclaimed, snapping the last part angrily. His pulse had risen in the last few moments, and he felt all hot and slightly faint.

Ace felt as if he had finally shown that voice the door. He was confident that it wouldn't be returning at anytime soon, because he had finally figured out what it was. It was power. Power and dominance was what had been internally torturing him for the past few days. But he had finally showed it what really mattered for him now, and that, he felt, was enough.

He finally came back to his senses, and he was glad to know that his heart rate had fallen back to normal. His body posture now showed no evidence of ever being stressed or angry, but it was now like it was a while ago, calm and relaxed.

Sighing, he remembered how he had verbally bitten at Piper earlier on. Looking over, he could just make out the silhouette of the girl, curled up in a tight ball. He was filled with guilt; it wasn't her fault, he shouldn't have gone off at her like that. She was just seeing if he was ok, she was just caring for him.

"Piper?" Ace whispered, carefully sliding over towards the silent Hawk. "Piper I'm sorry. I didn't mean to talk to you like that." He pushed himself up against her and tried to stroke her arm, but she moved away.

"Please talk, don't be like this." he pleaded but all he got as a reply was another move away from him. He had had enough. Crawling over to her, he sat down and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her up into a sitting position beside him. He leant back on the wall behind him held his grip firm as Piper tried to escape.

Giving in, she decided to turn her head in the other direction and ignore the persistent man. Ace, having none of that, brought one of his hands up to her face and brought it around to face him, forcing her to listen to him. They were barely centimetres apart when he began to speak.

"Look, I know what I said earlier on may have come out in a very harsh way and I am sorry for that, but acting this way and trying to ignore me isn't going to make it any better. Understood?" Ace whispered quickly and in hushed tones. Looking into her eyes, he planted a small kiss on Pipers firmly shut lips.

Piper grumbled and made to stand up. "I understand." she muttered before making her way over to the door. "Don't take this the wrong way, I just need to make sure Aerrow doesn't see us together."

Entering the code on the door, she stepped into the dimly lit hall, briefly turning around to shoot Ace a small but flirty smile, reasuring him that she was ok. He grinned in reply, and slumped against the wall, watching her as she turned to leave.

She left, and the darkness closed in on him again. He slid down the wall, and fell into a lying position on the bed, pondering many questions that were running through his mind. He put his hands behind his head and sighed, an uncontrollable smile working its way onto his face as he thought of the one he loved.

* * *

Piper left the entrance to the interrogation room, and walked slowly up the corridor of the condor, her feet making echoes that reverberated off of the metal walls. She walked straight past her room, for she did not feel the need to sleep, and headed right towards the hangar bay.

She arrived to find the ramp was already down. _'Strange,' _She thought. _'I swear we shut it when we came in.'_ Leaving the thought to wander, she headed outside, and was met by a light yet cold breeze. Her bare feet thumped on the ramp, and the grass tickled her toes as she touched the grass at the bottom.

Piper wandered around to the side of the condor and went underneath the hull, so she could have a little private time. The stars shined merrily in the black, midnight sky, they seemed oblivious to what was happening in the world below them.

She folded her arms tightly into her chest, and for once, wished she had Ace to come and wrap his arms around her and keep her warm. It may have only been mere hours since she had first been confronted by the Dark Ace, but she felt as if she had known this Ace for all eternity.

To her, it felt right. Ace had needed someone to help him get through this stage, he had needed someone special to show him the right way, and luckily for her, she was this special someone. She couldn't imagine herself living a life without love and compassion, a life without close friends and family.

Her family was safe, on their home terra. But to think of someone like him not having a family or close friends, and then being tormented for just having different eyes and a different character. For Piper, it just seemed unbearable.

She shivered, the night air getting into her skin and through her bones. It froze her lungs and made her nose sore, and all of a sudden, she felt quite tired. Although for some reason, she felt she wasn't alone. She heard a choked cry, and the sound of someone trying to hold back tears, of what, she did not know.

Turning around, she saw the outline of a figure curled up on the ground, sides moving up and down sharply with each ragged breath. Whoever it was seemed oblivious to the fact that Piper was even there.

She could faintly hear the person mumbling the same thing over and over again. As she crept closer, the voice seemed to become more distinguishable. It sounded something like; "It should have been me, I should have told her, It should have been me…"

By the deep voice and muscular outline, Piper guessed it was a boy, around her age. And since they had landed in the middle of a forest, it meant that it could only possibly be one of the crew.

Stork was too skinny to be this person, and he would never come outside anyway due to the fact that mindworms are supposedly more active at night when you're brain is starting to shut down and they are at their strongest.

Junko was too bulky as well, and his species had a distinctive profile so it was bound not to be him. So that left it between Aerrow and Finn. Piper crept closer, and gasped as she realised who it was. The boy heard her and turned to face her, tears streaking his face.

"It should have been me…" he whispered.

**Ok, so I'm gonna be kind and let you guys chose who the boy is. There's a poll on my profile and the choices are between Finn and Aerrow so please go vote. I cannot make up my mind! Please R&R, Thanks!**


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